A marine biologist told The Age that sea lice were a possibility but a local swimmer said that a sting ray might also have been a culprit. At this point, the jury is still out.

Kanizay’s father, Jarrod, returned to the ocean to catch the creatures that had a go at his son.

Jarrod posted a video of what he says are the culprits – sea lice. “What is really clear is these little things really love meat,” Jarrod said. In the video, sea lice are seen in a tray of water eating chunks of meat.